Sugar
by rinwee09
Summary: Carlos dances around like an idiot to Sugar by Maroon 5 and Cecil likes it. I wrote this one night at work on my phone with the song on repeat because that was the only song that would load on Youtube.


Cecil switches off the mic for the day and leans back in his chair, rubbing his eyes from the day's broadcast. For Night Vale, it was a fairly slow news day. Wheat and wheat by products are still banned, the glow cloud is bigger and more glowy. Another puppy infestation has taken over the high school, so Night Vale community schools have closed for the summer a month early.

He pulls his phone from his bag laying against the leg of his desk and checks for messages. Nothing. Just as well, he'll head over to the lab anyway and surprise Carlos.

Sliding the phone back into its pocket inside, Cecil flips the bag closed and throws the strap over his head. Heading out of the station, he waves to his lovely group of new interns who are running from slime oozing from the bathroom. Hoping poor Khoshekh is alright, he pushes the glass door open and steps into the desert sun.

Today's air quality is actually more of a vivid green than a forest green, but what does Cecil know. He's not a meteorologist.

He walks down the street to a small blue gasoline/cloud acid hybrid car. Sliding into his seat and turning the key in ignition to hear nothing, Cecil simultaneously realizes he left his lights on this morning and notices a parking ticket in his windshield washer blade. Great. Just great.

Stupid car, Cecil thinks as he walks down the sidewalk. Automatic lights my slightly purple tinted butt. His parking ticket was unavoidable though. The Sheriff's Secret Police issued it because parking is only allowed on that side of the street on Wednesdays, and it only exists on Wednesdays, but this week Wednesday was cancelled after Cecil had arrived at the station early that morning. He should have moved his car during the weather report.

When Cecil rounds the corner to Carlos's street he thinks that while the car and the ticket were pretty terrible things to happen, it's not the worst. He could have run into Steve Carlsburg on his walk here. He could have had to walk past the dog park, those hooded figures still give him the creeps. He was so occupied thinking of all the bad things that could have ended in certain death, or worse social discomfort, that he almost passed by Carlos's lab.

The building was an old store front with the windows boarded up and painted purple. Cecil fumbled with his keys, looking for the small purple key Carlos had handpainted for Cecil when he gifted him this key. He unlocked the first door, stepping into the tiny vestibule. Cecil locked the door behind him and pulled his jacket off and hung it on the hooks with his bag. He reached for the second door leading to the lab but paused when he heard a sound.

At first it sounded like a creature making pained noises, but instantly felt guilty when he realized it was Carlos singing. Carlos wasn't the worst singer, he just happened to be singing in a high falsetto far out of his range.

"Sugaaar, yes please...won't you come and put it down on meee" he sang loudly. He dropped into a better range "Yeah ya show me good lovin..."

Cecil smiled at the fun words, unlike anything popular here in Night Vale. It must be something Carlos got from wherever he was from. Arrizone? Arzone? Ugh, Cecil could never remember. He opened the door and slowly stepped in and shut it quietly behind him.

Carlos, perfect Carlos, was loudly singing along to the music blasting from his phone from somewhere among the papers and glass tubes and beakers and Bunsen burners. He was dancing a little between tables, stacking papers and moving beakers. Shaking his head back forth it looked like he'd break his neck. Cecil was almost positive Carlos was only doing that because he knew it made his hair look so cool.

He spun around to "Won't you come and put it down on me!" And stopped dead in his spin when he saw Cecil for a moment before smiling mischievously at him.

Cecil couldn't help but laugh and grin stupidly back at him. How is Carlos so...perfect? Fun and smart, hot as desert sun and still just adorable and sweet. Cecil took a step in toward Carlos, who was dancing over toward him.

Carlos starting singing along dramatically and stopped behind a table of cleaning supplies. "My broken pieces..." Carlos grabbed a mop and brushed it in time on the floor. "You pick them up." He stopped and pointed at Cecil, half smiled and winked.

"Don't leave me hanging" he pushed the mop away from him. As it crashed on the floor Carlos sang "come give me some" and put his hands in front of him, moved his fingers together in an overly sexy come hither way, and moved his hips back and forth. Cecil threw his head back laughing and walked around the table to meet Carlos.

"When I'm without ya," Carlos sang, matching the singer's pitch and even improvised inflections perfectly. See, Cecil thought, he's not actually a bad singer sounding like a dying kitten. "You are the one thing" Carlos met Cecil at the end of the table, grabbed Cecil by the belt buckle and stood up on his toes to meet his eyes and kiss him quickly on the lips. "I'm living for," he sang quieter than the music, it felt to Cecil like he wasn't just fooling around and meant the words.

Carlos backed away from Cecil, grinning a silly grin again, "I don't wanna be needing your love" he waved his hands in front of him and made a face like he smelled something awful, like the dumpsters behind Big Rico's. He sang along, and danced around moving his arms and pulling faces along with the words. "And I gotta get one little taste" Carlos grabbed Cecil's hand, separated a thin finger, and dragged it across his tongue. Cecil knew Carlos was playing, but couldn't help but bite his lip and feel just slightly turned on, however Carlos took note.

The chorus started again with a high falsetto that made Carlos scrunch up his face. "Your sugar, yes please!" He sang. Cecil laughed again as Carlos sang "Yeah, you show me good lovin', make it alright" and crossed his arms in front of him and moved them sensually down his sides.

The song slowed down after the chorus, "I want that red velvet," what was that? Cecil thought. It sounds delicious. He should ask Carlos to explain it. Carlos was running across the lab to his skeleton propped up in the corner. He pulled it next to Cecil and put its arm around Cecil's shoulders. He spun around and feigned shock, "Don't let nobody touch it, unless that somebody's me!" He violently shook his head, messing up his perfect hair into imperfect perfection, as he shoved the skeleton down on the table. "I gotta be your man, there ain't no other way" Carlos got quieter again, and closer to Cecil. He put a strong hand at the back of Cecil's neck and pulled his face in close so they were nose to nose. "Cuz boy," he was changing the words, which made Cecil smile broadly and laugh quietly. "You're hotter than a Night Vale desert day." The words fit surprisingly well Cecil thought as Carlos kissed him quickly on the lips. He didn't sing anymore and just looked Cecil up and down. Their eyes met again and Cecil said over the music "I could say the same for you, Mr. Scientist."

At the chorus again, Carlos sang in his normal voice, not falsetto this time. "Sugar, yes please. Won't you come and put it down on me?" He ran his fingers down Cecil's chest, wrapping his hands around Cecil's hips, and pulled him into him. "I'm right here, cuz I need, little love, a little sympathy." Carlos swayed his hips against Cecil, keeping perfect time with the music still. The slow and gentle rocking they were managing didn't quite fit the song very well, but somehow it still worked. Carlos wrapped his arms around Cecil, laying his head in the crook of Cecil's neck kissing it softly. Cecil sighed as the song ended.

"I had a boring day that turned terrible, but that made my walk over here so worth it. Thank you." Cecil said as they broke apart. "You're amazing."

Carlos laughed and said "Nah, just a goofy scientist who worked too much today. I'm drunk with tiredness, Cecil. Funny how that happens. And I'm no anthropologist, but I think music and dancing helps relieve stress."

Cecil doesn't know what an anthropologist is, but he nods. "I know I feel better." Carlos walks across the lab to his big burner and turns the knob on it, lowering the flame until it goes out completely.

"I'm almost done here, if you want to go for dinner tonight. Time doesn't really work the way it should here, but we can say it's the anniversary of our first date and go back to Arby's if you want. Or since we're both here I can make something upstairs in the kitchen. Y'know we should do that more often, cook at home." Carlos continued on, but Cecil wasn't really listening. He was thinking about the song, and the words Carlos sang to him. Joking aside, Carlos meant a lot of those words directly for Cecil.

"Carlos?" Cecil interrupted.

"Yes, Cecil?" Carlos replied.

"What is that song? I've never heard it before. I like it a lot." Cecil said.

Carlos smiled a moment before he said "It's a fairly new song from a band back where I'm from. At least I think it's new. Again with the time around Night Vale..." He trailed off. "Anyway," he continued when he noticed Cecil wasn't listening again. "It's become kind of the new wedding song young couples use at their wedding receptions. Kind of sweet, wasn't it? We should ah..." He paused, thinking. He looked up at Cecil and nervously laughed. "We should get married some day" He grinned.

Cecil looked at him and met his eyes. He couldn't tell at first if Carlos was still being silly, dramatic, singing Carlos, but looking into his eyes Cecil could see Carlos was completely serious. "Okay." he said.


End file.
